


Silver Lining

by magnetohmy



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, Manhandling, Mick's Novels, Oblivious Barry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 10:20:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17465687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetohmy/pseuds/magnetohmy
Summary: Barry discovers who the author of his favorite book series really is.





	Silver Lining

**Author's Note:**

> From a couple prompts by my irl friend Stacey who is the best at validating my terrible ideas.

“You’re reading  _ that _ ?”

 

Barry looked up from his book to see Mick Rory glaring down at him. He grinned, not having expected Mick to come out of his room for anything other than a mission, and closed the book.

 

He was on the Waverider for the week, while Wally took on Flash duties, trying to track down yet another time remnant of Eobard Thawne that was running around somewhere in history. Gideon was doing constant checks, but nothing had been found just yet. So while half the team was off trying to find a centaur in Renaissance Italy, Barry was left with some downtime to catch up on his reading list. The top of it had been the next in a series that Sherloque of all people had gotten him into, about an ex-convict and his litany of romantic conquests.

 

“Yep. Have you read it?”

 

“Yeah.” Mick grunted. “Didn’t think you’d like that kinda book.”

 

“I usually don’t but…” Barry ran his fingers over the slightly raised letters that spelled out the author’s name. “Rebecca Silver is remarkably talented. I wouldn’t peg you for the romance novel type either.”

 

“Guilty pleasure.” Mick admitted with no change in expression. “Stuff’s hot.”

 

“It is.” Barry agreed quietly, examining the swooning redhead in the arms of the buff model on the cover. “Did you like this one?”

 

Mick shrugged noncommittally. “Not really.”

 

“It’s not her best. But nothing can top  _ Uncaged Desire _ . That was my favorite. The main character actually reminds me a lot of you, if I’m being honest.”

 

Barry could have sworn the corner of Mick’s lips twitched like he was about to smile, but it was quickly gone and replaced by a scowl once again. “Whatever, Red. Try not to ruin the furniture during chapter 14.” And he was gone.

 

Immediately reopening the book and flipping forward to the aforementioned chapter, Barry skimmed it and realized it was the raunchiest, most descriptive sex scene Rebecca Silver had ever written. Of course Mick would be the one to point that out. But if he hadn’t liked the book, why would he remember the specific chapter that the graphic love-making occurred in? It didn’t really matter, Barry figured, as long as he had someone to discuss it with later. 

 

***

 

“So you’re hopping on the Rebecca Silver train too?” Zari asked, entering the kitchen where Barry was still seated.

 

“I’ve been on it.” Barry replied vaguely, engrossed in the last few pages of his third novel of the day. 

 

Zari scoffed. “You know who actually writes those, right?”

 

Barry glanced up at her. “No. Why? Is it someone famous?”

 

“I guess. More infamous.” She looked like she was trying not to laugh in his face.

 

“Is it someone I know then?”

 

“Oh yeah. You know him very well.”

 

“ _ Him? _ ”

 

Zari’s resolve finally cracked and she guffawed loudly. “It’s Mick! Obviously!”

 

Barry had to really process that statement, squinting at the book still in his hands. Rebecca Silver was really Mick Rory? No way. Not a chance. And yet…

 

Zari was talking again. “I’m really pretty shocked that you didn’t figure it out for yourself yet. How every protagonist is himself with a different name and all the love interests are people he wants to sleep with.”

 

That made sense, Barry had compared the main character to Mick himself, and all those people that said main character took to his bed had sounded weirdly familiar. Like the prison doctor who bore a remarkable resemblance to Caitlin. Or the sexy IT guy literally named Crisco who the hero seduced in a moment of passionate experimentation. Plus there was the ex-wife with an icy demeanor, Leona. and the girl with the heirloom necklace who captured the heart of the lead character and his best friend, then broke them both and left them to find comfort in each other (and booze).

 

“Okay…” Barry said at last, still not entirely convinced. Zari seemed to realize that and smirked.

 

“Wait here, I’ll be right back.” She practically sprinted out of the room, and returned just moments later. Zari tossed a thick, poorly bound pile of paper onto the table in front of Barry. He picked what was clearly a manuscript up and glared at her suspiciously.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“Rebecca Silver’s next stand-alone novel. It got picked up but hasn’t been officially published yet. I figure it’s okay to give you an advance screening because… well… you’ll see.” Her smile was strangely wicked.

 

“Thanks?”

 

Zari waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t mention it. I’ll leave you to your reading.” Picking up the food she’d come in to replicate, Zari exited the kitchen.

 

Barry frowned at the title,  _ Faster Than Lightning _ , and opened the manuscript to the first page.

 

***

 

An hour and 260 pages later, Barry found himself at the end of the story. He had devoured the absolutely captivating Victorian period piece about a lady inventor, Mary Fallon, and the former mob associate Mike Bellows she hired to protect her while she worked on her latest invention. As usual, Mike Bellows was clearly a stand in for Mick himself, but it had taken Barry a while to figure out who Mary was supposed to be. Once he had, the reading had become even more engrossing.

 

The book closed on Mike and Mary watching her house burn down, all her life’s work gone, and deciding to have sex on the lawn in front of the flames instead of doing anything to save it. It spelled out new beginnings and letting go of the past in the name of love. 

 

Barry sat back and stared at the ceiling. That had been, by far, the best thing Rebecca Silver - Mick - had ever written. Finally a heroine with some strength and gumption, but that still liked getting it on with attractive near-strangers. A trait Barry shared with his literary counterpart. Mary was definitely supposed to be him, tall and willowy, short auburn hair, even somehow down to the softness of his/her hands, which people always commented on, but Mick shouldn’t have known about since they’d never touched skin to skin. Yet.

 

Gathering the manuscript into his arms, Barry marched straight to Mick’s room and knocked on the door. It opened after about 45 seconds and Mick peered out, wearing reading glasses and a bemused and grumpy expression. “What?” He growled.

 

Barry held the stack of paper out to him. “I believe this is yours.”

 

Mick snatched it out of his hands so fast the cover nearly ripped. “Where did you get that?”

 

“Zari gave it to me. She said it was okay if I read it.”

 

“Figures. You know by now then?”

 

“That you’re Rebecca Silver? Yeah, I know.”

 

“Still mean all those nice things you said?”

 

Barry was a little surprised by the question. “Of course I do. I wasn’t expecting that you’d be such an accomplished writer, but I never really know what’s going to come from you anyway.”

 

Mick was silent for a moment and then said, “What did you think of this one?” He gestured the manuscript for emphasis.

 

“It was, without hyperbole, the best thing you’ve ever written.”

 

“You liked Mary?”

 

“Loved her.” Barry beamed. “Not as much as I liked Mike though.”

 

They stared at each other for a split second before Mick beckoned Barry to come inside. When the door was shut behind them, Mick tossed the book on the floor and pushed Barry up against the wall.

 

“You liked Mike, huh? Did you think he was hot?”

 

Barry barely suppressed a gasp at the rough treatment and suddenly sexually charged tone in Mick’s voice. “So hot.”

 

“Did you imagine that it was you he was bending over the counter and taking from behind? Or in front of the fire?”

 

“Yes,” Barry breathed as Mick wedged a leg between his own, “And all the other times too. Especially when they snuck away from the party and hooked up in the coat closet.”

 

Mick snorted. “That was a good part, huh? Maybe we’ll do that for round two.”

 

“There’s going to be a round one?”

 

Large, strong hands clasped over Barry’s ass and squeezed. “Fuck, Red, I’ve wanted to bone you for years. That’s why I wrote all that stuff. In with everything else that’ll never happen. But this is. Not gonna let you go without gettin’ some.”

 

Barry looped his arms around Mick’s neck and kissed the tip of his nose. “In that case, why don’t you show me if you’re as talented as Mike is at going down on Mary.”

 

“You’ve got a deal, doll.”

 

***

 

When Barry walked into breakfast the next morning wearing one of Mick’s shirts and with a latticework of rapidly fading hickeys on his neck and shoulders, Zari crowed in delight and shouted “You owe me 20 bucks!” at Constantine. Barry blushed, but Mick seemed utterly unperturbed, leaning around Barry to steal a piece of fruit from Zari’s plate while she was delighting in parting a grumbling John from his money. Mick took a seat and pulled Barry down into his lap, snaking an arm around his waist possessively. 

 

Ray, clearly mortified by the public affection, abandoned his breakfast in favor of escaping. Sara followed shortly after, muttering something about needing to call Ava. Zari went with her, saying that she’d “read all this before.”

 

“Y’know,” Mick whispered into Barry’s ear as the two remaining team members watched them with unabashed interest, “If you do good enough in our next round, maybe you’ll get an author’s dedication.”

 

“Anything you want  _ Ms. Silver _ .” Barry giggled, happily turning his head to kiss Mick.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Aka the "I make a bunch of shit up and hope it sounds like it makes sense fic"
> 
> magnetohmy.tumblr.com, @captaincoldest on Twitter, @captainzachcosplay on Instagram


End file.
